Various garage doors and other artificial, electronically controlled barriers have been used for many years to protect the owner's contents therein or to restrict access to an area beyond the barrier. Such barriers are capable of providing a security measure against the outside world and are typically accessible only to those who possess the mechanism or means to operate the particular system.
Generally, a method of controlling these barriers can achieved by a remote radio frequency controller which, in turn, interacts with a receiver that is adapted to receive a wireless command signal from a transmitter. However, problems arise when the controller, which is battery operated, no longer functions. This is due to the depletion of the power source and necessitates the purchase and/or replacement of the power source. Power sources, such as batteries cost money and are not easy to dispose, nor are they environmentally friendly. With the push to be more environmentally friendly in the context of technology; there is a problem for which a solution is desirable.
In addition, various “universal” opening mechanisms consisting of generally a receiver and transmitter require undue labor in installation such a system and further maintaining that system. A receiver must be operably connected to the mechanism by which the door operates (i.e. opens and/or closes) or installed elsewhere nearby. This need for proximity problem poses a number of issues including but not limited to the height and placement of these operating mechanisms residing outside the reach of most individuals. Most often, a ladder or other means, and other proper tools are required for proper installation and maintenance. When such tools are not readily accessible, the individual must have another person such as a service contractor perform the installation which invariably ends up costing the customer a substantial increase in expenditures.
Further, there is a need for such a universal mechanism that can function with a variety of parent systems, not simply with garage doors. For example, the same mechanism and/or device should be able to work with a variety of parent system to which it can be retrofit such as a thermostat, security system, doorbell, motion detector, smoke detector, light detector, carbon monoxide detector, or natural gas detector, or any combination thereof. Such a mechanism should be able to log the usage of each of these systems and various other characteristics as need through pre-installed and/or downloadable software.
Various devices are known in the art. However, their property and means of operation are substantially different from the present disclosure. The other inventions fail to solve all the problems taught by the present disclosure. The present invention and its embodiments requires no battery as it harvests energy from existing wiring in the parent system. Further, the device may be retrofit to virtually any system negating the need for costly and time consuming installs. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below and will be described in more detail herein.